National Pastime Radio, March 5

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me ran one of its “highlight shows” last week, including a “Not My Job” segment with Jim Bouton. Always a pleasure to hear him. It’s impossible for players to publish a book these days without a reference to Ball Four; Dirk Hayhurst — who is release his fourth title this spring — immediately comes to mind.

Whenever I learn about an author who’s interviewed on Only a Game, I still feel a bit miffed that I wasn’t included last year for a chat on NPR’s sports program. It has been suggested it was because I didn’t include host Bill Littelfield’s baseball novel, Prospect, in 501. I really hope that’s not the case; otherwise it would seem pretty petty. After all, and with all due modesty, I believe 501 is the type of resource that can get people to read, turning them on to some of the most interesting (if not always the best) books on the national pastime. Or have I been deluding myself about it’s value?

NEW!
Free 501 checklist available (Excel/spreadhseet format). Makes it fun to check off which books you've read and handy to bring to the bookstore or library to get what you still want to read. Send your request via email to ronkaplansbaseballbookshelf (@)gmail(dot)com.

Ron by Roth

In my "day job," I'm the features and sports editor for a weekly New Jersey newspaper, where I host another blog. Busy, busy, busy.

I did a profile piece on the award-winning cartoonist Arnold Roth and he was nice enough to "immortalize" me.